Vegan growth: ADM explores new opportunities with diverse protein solutions

Across plant-based product categories, health and nutrition remain primary consumption motivators, although animal welfare concerns still top the list specifically for meat alternatives, according to ADM. At the same time, formulation advancements to support improved taste and texture are also critically important drivers among plant-forward consumers.

Meanwhile, interest in products that mimic traditional animal protein and those that are more plant-forward is growing, with less identity-fixed plant-based products across markets and consumer groups.

Jacquelyn Rodenkirch-Schuh, global senior director of product Marketing, Specialty Ingredients, at ADM, speaks with Food Ingredients First about the latest consumer trends and market dynamics in the plant-based and vegan offerings space, and how they are shaping the company’s innovation pipeline.

The company is focused on supporting customers with new product development of plant-based and vegan-suitable products, including dairy- and meat alternatives, specialized nutrition, and protein-based products that champion nutritional value and sensory experience.

What are the latest key drivers propelling growth in vegan-suitable offerings and the plant-based arena?

Rodenkirch-Schuh: Our decades of plant-based ingredient expertise and leadership help bring nutritious, delicious next-generation products to the forefront. Facilities like our state-of-the-art protein solutions center in Illinois in the US, and our innovation center on the grounds of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, both support critical ingredient and formulation research, while also enabling our customers to work hand-in-hand with our technical experts from idea to commercialization of product. 

We’re also able to provide a reliable supply of soy protein regionally grown, sourced, and produced in North America, Europe, and Latin America, along with a regional supply of pea and wheat in both North America and Europe. Specifically, our SojaProtein facility in Serbia delivers locally sourced, non-GMO soy grown within 100 kilometers of the plant. The facility has both soy protein and lecithin, both of which are important for nutrition, taste, and texture.

What are the crucial challenges that your solutions help overcome in vegan solutions? How does your portfolio help brands and manufacturers improve label claims? 

Rodenkirch-Schuh: Our vast library of plant-based ingredients and systems includes a diverse range of clean-tasting soy-, pea- and wheat proteins, in addition to beans and pulses. Each of these ingredients provides critical functional and textural support to overcome formulation hurdles, in addition to delivering key nutritional value and optimizing cost-in-use. This includes mitigating beany or earthy off-notes inherent to certain plant-based ingredients, as well as delivering outstanding textural attributes purposefully designed for different applications, from alternative meat and -dairy to vegan-suitable baked goods and snacks. 

Removing animal-derived proteins from a formulation can reduce the level of fattiness in meat alternatives and creaminess in dairy alternatives. Through decades of research and extensions to our ingredients line, we help achieve the authentic “bite and chew” in vegan “meat-like” products and the richness of mouthfeel in alternative dairy, assisting brands in creating foods and beverages that maximize consumer satisfaction.

What are some of the key ingredients you work with?

Rodenkirch-Schuh: As one of the few non-animal proteins, soy is a “complete protein” with a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1. Product developers that use plant protein sources like soy may help address what consumers are interested in seeing in future plant-based products, such as more health attributes. Soy is also widely considered key to providing textural and functional support needed in plant-based and vegan-suitable products. 

Jacquelyn Rodenkirch-Schuh, global senior director of product Marketing, Specialty Ingredients at ADM.Our legacy in plant-based protein innovation began with soy, and we continue to evolve and diversify our portfolio among isolates, concentrates, textured proteins, and flours/grits to leverage the right tool in the toolbox. 

Pea protein is also coming to the forefront as a key player in this space, growing in both awareness and consumption over the last five years. Our powdered and textured pea protein portfolio benefits from low total aromatics (including less beany, earthy, and bitter notes), which supports sensory targets while delivering functionality and nutrition.

Our soy and pea proteins are foundational to our AccelFlex Functional Systems and Texture Systems, which provide crucial structural and functional benefits, ensuring consumer-expected texture and mouthfeel in meat- and dairy alternatives, along with snacks, baked goods, sports nutrition, ready meals, and more. Our newly added AccelFlex TS P80, which is a non-GMO 100% textured pea protein product, targets textural attributes while mitigating off-notes. It also does not require mandatory allergen labeling and is now available in a reduced sodium version, helping reach low-sodium and clean label goals in vegan-suitable products.

For both protein and fiber content, along with key functionality, we tap our vertically integrated bean program and high-quality, value-added USDA #1 grade beans. Our bean powders and flours provide thickening functionalities, emulsifying and stabilizing properties, and high water-binding capacity, all while supporting clean label targets with on-trend types across black, pinto, navy bean, chickpea, lentils, and many more.

How do you elevate the sensory profile of vegan-suitable offerings?

Rodenkirch-Schuh: Each of our plant proteins and wholesome, plant-based ingredients is excellent when used individually or in combination to support hybrid or blended protein formulations. In blends, our solutions bring forth new innovation possibilities and satisfy taste, texture, nutrition, and cost as they take the best characteristics from each protein source. Plus, protein and ingredient diversification are top-of-mind for health-conscious consumers seeking plant-based options. Our research shows that 86% of plant-forward consumers believe it is healthier to get protein from a wider variety of sources. 

To elevate the sensory profile of vegan-suitable offerings further, we look to our sophisticated flavor modulation technology. Our TasteSpark flavor modulation solutions include TasteSpark Masking to neutralize off-notes, TasteSpark Mouthfeel to build back richness, and TasteSpark Salt Modulation to rebalance taste loss in sought-after reduced-sodium, plant-based applications. Since our flavor modulation solutions can be listed on product labels as “Natural Flavor” in most jurisdictions, they also support clean label objectives alongside our plant-based ingredients.

What growth opportunities remain in vegan-suitable offerings, and how will you tap into them throughout the rest of the year? 

Rodenkirch-Schuh: We’re committed to helping our customers seize the substantial growth opportunities in using diverse plant-based ingredients to support demands for nutritious, tasty, and accessible vegan-suitable products. Research shows strong consumer interest in expanded uses of plant protein (soy, pea, chickpeas, lentils, and wholesome ingredients) in different product formats. A stand-out ingredient (especially for its role in supporting increased protein intake), soy is one of the top five most recognizable and consumed plant proteins globally at #1, followed by a tie with chickpea and lentils at #2. Consumers widely associate soy with being “healthy/nutritious, tasty and safe,” and lentils with being “healthy/nutritious, tasty and clean/natural.” Overall, chickpea and lentil benefit from very strong consumer perception, with chickpea seeing particular growth.

The surge in use of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) like GLP-1 receptor agonists has affected all aspects of the food industry. For vegan-suitable offerings — particularly those that include soy — there is an opportunity to support consumer concerns around muscle loss while using AOMs. Studies estimate that 20-40% of weight loss may come from muscle tissue. Globally, 83% of plant-forward consumers agree that soy protein is effective for musclebuilding/maintenance, which is the number one benefit consumers associate with soy protein. This is followed by consumer perceptions of soy aiding in reducing fat intake (81%) and supporting a healthy/active lifestyle (79%).